This section provides background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the disclosure. It should be understood that the statements in this section of this document are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Hose fittings, and in particular, swivel fittings, are known and have been in use for many years. Such fittings are attached to the end of a hose for the further conduit of a liquid or gas. Conventional swivel fittings used on gasoline hoses are reattachable, permitting the removal of the gasoline nozzle or hose and reinstallation and attachment of different swivel nuts and various attachments in the field by any technician or layperson.
Prior art swivel fittings function with a swivel nut secured to a stem piece by means of a retaining ring. The partial assembled fitting, with the retaining ring and swivel nut at the opposing end, is inserted into a hose, over which a ferrule has already been provided. The ferrule is secured to the stem, connecting the hose with the swivel fitting. By design, the conventional retaining ring is removable and the swivel nut can be removed and reinstalled in the field which may lead to safety concerns if the fitting is not reinstalled correctly. In practice, the retaining ring frequently becomes damaged and can come off while in service, resulting in a serious safety problem. Furthermore, such swivel fittings are not suitable for vapor recovery hose assemblies.
Typical vapor recovery fittings are made of high cost materials such as brass and are attached to the hose via internal expansion process. Such vapor recovery fittings also require an additional retaining ring to hold the swivel nut in place. Furthermore, some vapor recovery fittings can have higher electrical resistance levels than desired.
Thus, there is an ongoing need for improved vapor recovery hose fittings made of lower cost material, while maintaining current performance standards, as well as having improved electrical resistance properties, such need met at least in part with embodiments according to the following disclosure.